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It is now exactly 3yrs since I've had any cancer treatment.
I feel well and am more than happy to be still around!
The last five and a half years have been eventful - and a definite learning experience.
This illness seems to have no pattern to it. Every prostate cancer is different and every single one of us responds in different ways to treatment.
My own treatment had me tired out and feeling cold even in warm weather.
However, these three years following the treatment have been full of surprises, some welcome, some not.
The best thing was finding I had made a full return to a normal sex life within a few weeks of ending hormone therapy in Sept 2007.
The worst 2 things were probably connected:
1) In 2008 I had severe and persisitent bowel problems for over a year, which I eventually discovered was a late side effect of radiotherapy. Those problems were really ruining my days.
I had a host of blood tests and a colonoscopy, and all was well, apart from a few polyps (removed during the procedure) and a weakness in blood vessels caused by RT.
Happily, those problems are now gone, thanks to taking one loperamide capsule every other night. I only dicovered that solution by trial and error.
2) From Nov 2008 till May 2010 I was in the grip of the worst depression I had ever experienced.
I lost all energy and zest for life, and felt no emotion but despair and failure - because I couldn't seem to fight my way out of it.
My oncologist was very supportive, and said that although most men are hit by that depression earlier in the illness, it's not uncommon for it to strike when treatment is over.
Thank God that problem is now gone. And once again it was through trial and error that I found a medication to help me over it.
I had tried every other avenue, but it was finally finding an antipressant that suited me which resolved the problem.
It seems we all react differently to various types of these pills.
I would certainly advise, that if you hit that dark place, as I did, then please don't give up just because a particular pill isnt working for you.
Try another, and another...till you find the one that's the ideal one for you.
Finally, as for my PSA levels:
They remained at around 1.0 for the first 18 months after the end of treatment.
For the next year they rose very slowly but surely to around the 3.0 mark
In these past 6 months they have settled (I hope) and now come in at between 5.0 and 6.0 each month.
I would love to think that I have finally reached that fabled 'plateau' - a normal PSA for a man of my age (60 next March).
After all, I have an intact prostate, high testosterone, and have gone these past 3 years without treatment.
Time will tell, but I DO intend to be around causing mischief for many more years to come.
One other thing....At diagnosis we had only 3 grandchildren, now we have 8. Would anybody like some of them? (Please!!).
Finally, I never tire of telling everybody I meet that YANA was the first site I ever found when I was in a state of shock and disbelief back in April 2005.
Long may we all continue together here!
Very best wishes to you all,
George
England
PS. A 2011 date for the diaries of any UK guys here.
Saturday 25th June:
Another get-together of PCa friends, again at The Mill On The Soar in Leicester.
60 of us met up last Saturday, many of us staying over for the weekend.
It was good to be amongst so many fun (crazy) people!
Hi George in the foggy background of my memory I think I remember when you first started posting. If you are giving away your grandchidren it means that you are to busy to deal with them. A good sign for a T4
Good to hear from you!
No, it's not me who's too busy....it's two of my 3 kids.
They're responsible for the sudden surge from 3 to 8 grandchildren in the past five and a half years.
Perhaps I should buy the two of them a special 'home entertainment system' for their bedrooms. I'll have to think of something, becuase they wince at the mere mention of the word vasectomy!
And it's getting worse. I've just heard that my 21 year old grandson will make me a great grandad a month after my 60th birthday next March!
Oh well, I know everyone will realise I say all this very much 'tongue in cheek'.
I love them all, and never thought I'd be around to see them all arrive.
